MCAA

Many of you have been asking when/if the new control tower at FDK is going to open. We don’t have a good answer, unfortunately. The new Sectional which becomes valid on February 9 shows the Class D airspace (blue dashed ring) around FDK but the airport symbol is still magenta. There is a small note that says the Class D/E at the surface will be active by NOTAM. So check NOTAMs! Hopefully FAA and AOPA will keep us informed.

As many of you already know, John Luke retired as GAI’s airport manager in December. We still get lots of questions about this, though, so I’m re-posting the original email from Keith Miller of MCRA:

John Luke, who has been with the Montgomery County Revenue Authority
(MCRA) since 1996, has retired. Since 2004, John has served as the
Airport Manager. Prior to becoming the Airport Manager, John became a
Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives. A
pilot and aviation enthusiast, he ensured a high level of safety and
security at the Airpark during his seven years, for which he was
recognized by the FAA.

The MCRA will begin a search for a new Airport Manager.  In the
meantime, if you need assistance please call 301-762-9080 during regular
business hours.  For urgent matters after hours please call 301-503-0886
or email airportmanager@montgomerycountyairpark.com.

The FAA is proposing a redesign of the Washington Class B airspace that, if enacted, would adversely affect general aviation operations in the entire Washington, D.C. area. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is serving as the liaison between the GA community and FAA in a series of user group meetings this fall. MCAA is on the user group committee, along with our airport manager John Luke.

The MCAA is hosting a meeting on Monday, October 10 at GAI for a small, invitation-only group representing the flying clubs, flight schools and corporate operators at GAI. We will be reviewing the FAA’s proposal and developing a list of issues and proposed solutions that MCAA will present at the next user group meeting. Stay tuned for more information.

A general aviation pilot from Iowa has initiated a petition asking the Obama administration to “take aviation user fees off the table.” According to a story posted on AvWeb.com, Kevin Mossey believes the proposal to charge $100 per flight for some general aviation operations is “too complex.” If the petition logs 5,000 signatures by October 23, it will be reviewed by the White House for an official response.

Click here to read and sign the petition (requires free registration on WhiteHouse.gov).

Despite the unusually chilly and rainy weather, more than 200 people came to the Montgomery County Airpark (GAI) yesterday to enjoy our annual Open House. Volunteers from MCAA grilled complimentary hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken for all, and served as airport tour guides to guests. Volunteer youth cadets from the Civil Air Patrol assisted with safety and security, as we allowed visitors to tour a portion of the flight line where several flight schools and flying clubs had their aircraft on static display.

Since only six pilots signed up to participate in the landing rally, we only conducted the “flour bag toss” but it was a lot of fun! Check out this video on YouTube:

The highlight of the event came from a small group of people who are not even pilots, but just friends of the airport. Several artists from the Yellow Barn Studio in Glen Echo, Maryland visited the airpark this summer and created a series of paintings of airplanes. It was a nice change of pace and a unique addition to our gathering. We hope Walt and his crew will return next year!

If you’re a pilot and you plan to join us for the annual Open House on Saturday, September 17, consider participating in the Spot Landing and Precision Approach Rally! Registration is FREE and begins at 10 am, followed by a mandatory safety briefing for all pilots at 10:30 am.

Spot Landing Event — If you’ve ever flown into Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) during the last week in July, no further explanation is required. For the rest of you, it’s pretty simple. We’ll draw a giant colored dot on the runway, and your task is to touch your main landing gear down on the dot at the conclusion of a safe, stabilized approach. Each pilot will get 3 attempts. The pilot who conducts the best approaches and landings will receive a small prize courtesy of MCAA.

Precision Approach “Flour Bag” Drop — Here is your chance to do something you’ve probably always wanted to do ever since you read FAR 91.15 during private pilot ground school: drop something out of your airplane! We’ll draw a dot on the runway similar to, but smaller than, the Spot Landing dot, onto which you will have to drop a “flour bag” from your airplane in flight, during a normal landing approach and go-around. A “flour bag” is a small paper lunch sack filled with a small amount of ordinary baking flour, so that when it hits the ground it leaves a visible trail. A volunteer ground crew will be on hand to clean up any debris left on the runway after a bag drop, ensuring the runway surface is clear for takeoffs and landings.

Pilots will work as teams, with one person flying and one person launching the bags during each approach. Each team will receive 3 bags, and the team that gets the most bags in the drop zone wins a small prize, courtesy of MCAA . (Note: If you fly a plane that does not allow you to open the door/canopy in flight, and would like to participate anyway, let us know and we’ll try to pair you up with a pilot of a compatible airplane!)

Everyone who participates will have an opportunity to meet with Meredith and the other judges after the event, to discuss technique and best practices. So don’t be shy! Come on out and fly!

A friend just forwarded me this link from Aero-News Network, and I couldn’t wait to post it here. The text of the article is also pasted below. Thanks, ANN for bringing this important issue to light. We hope that our airport neighbors will take notice.

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=fdc5e860-410b-4d14-a318-b5a841b4313e

The efforts of an anti-aviation faction in the town of Grant-Valkaria in east central Florida near Melbourne have been pretty well documented. A small but vocal group including some elected officials has been adamant in its efforts to restrict legitimate aviation activity at the airport, and have flooded the FAA with complaints.

Well, on August 10th, the FAA called a meeting of the “interested parties”, including the state Department of Transportation, the mayor, and the loudest complainers to say that enough was enough, and that the agency would not investigate any future complaints about Valkaria Airport (X59).

A newsletter published by EAA chapter 1288 and forwarded to ANN documents the meeting held with the FAA, airport representatives, elected officials, the state DOT, and the anti-aviation activists. It cites the investigation by the FAA of 36 complaints taking up the time of 7 FAA inspectors amounting to 186 man-hours over nine months. The result of all that time, effort, and money found “(i)nvestigative conclusions did not result in violations at or around the airport. Flight Standards Investigations were unable to substantiate any of the complaints received during this time frame.”

The alleged “violations” that were called into the FAA included such things as “a Valkaria plane chased me down the Interstate” and “a plane doing dangerous aerobatics over homes” … which turned out to be an R/C model in a well-established model flying area. The complainers reportedly resorted to doctored digital photographs to try to prove their point.

The EAA chapter obtained documents through a Freedom of Information Act request, including the PowerPoint presentation.

But the upshot is, the FAA is apparently done responding to what the agency has determined to be bogus complaints about what seems to be a fairly well-mannered and respectful aviation community at X59. Those living on Ponderosa Road (including, we’re informed, the town’s mayor and one member of the town council), where the bulk of the complaints were centered, might have done well to go back and re-read the fable of the boy who cried “wolf.”

The MCAA annual Open House at the Montgomery County Airpark (GAI) is scheduled for September 17, 2011 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. We’re planning this to be a day full of flying, with a spot landing contest and other fun activities! Check back here for updates in the coming weeks. We hope to see you there!

This news today from Sandy Poe, General Manager of DC Metro Aviation Services:

“Our self serve install permit has been approved! I will be going to pick up the permit today. As we move forward I will keep you informed of install dates, etc.  Based on what the fuel supplier has told me we are looking at late August beginning of September but once he has confirmed that information I will pass it on.”

More than 60 players are expected to tee off this Friday for the annual MCAA/MCRA Spring Golf Tournament, held at the Laytonsville Golf Course. Airport manager John Luke and MCAA board member Tom Grass have done an excellent job of organizing this event, which supports MCAA’s ongoing outreach activities, namely, our annual Picnic and Open House. Let’s hope for good weather!